Hunting Camp

As the van pulled the drive way Fatima was crossing the cobblestone sidewalk with a tray of margaritas for everyone. Mexican music was still filtering out from the van's closed doors creating the perfect way to begin a hunt South of the Border.

Sooner friend Jim Barrett had set up this hunt with Cavi Del Rio, owner and operator of the La Marina Del Rio Hunting & Fishing Lodge in La Pesca, Mexico.
Only moments before we had landed at La Pesca Airport's 6800 foot runway, now beautiful, Cynthia, the wife of ourhost was welcoming us to Tamaulipas.

"Salud," someone said as I glanced skyward scanning the high sky trying to focus on the geese that were some where in the stratosphere. I returned back to the laughter that had encompassed us all as Jim and our new friends, Floyd Chapman and John White, who had flown down with us. onthe charter wanted to get settled.

Marina Del Rio is located in the game rich region of the Soto La Marina River Valley. Shooters are transported by boat or van and places the hunters in some of the fastest shooting action to be had in the Northern Hemisphere. White-winged doves (palomas), ducks (patos), o geese, sandhill cranes, Rio Grande turkey (guajalota), bobwhite quail, blue rock pigeon, and more abound in this fertile valley.

Guillermo was our master guide for the stay and I must say he is very knowledgeable in all the areas needed to make a goodhunt. Barrett has used Guillermo as a guide on several occassions for blue-rock pigeon shoots as well as waterfowling and now requests Willy by his Mexican name.

We shot ducks over both fresh water and the bays and had good shooting on both counts even though the tides and weather were both working against us. High skys kept the biggest flights from decoying but small flocks were certainly working well.

Accommodations and services are absolutely top notch. Nights were snuggling cold and afternoons typical tropics so the air-conditioned and heated rooms were welcomed, especially considering the schedule that Jim and I keep whenever we get together.

Our morning started with a knock at the door about 5:00 a.m. Warm coffee and breakfast was only yards away from our private rooms. At the central lodge stories of yesterday's hunts were rampant with aspirations of today's shoot being foretold with each morsels of food.

Breakfast was particularly appealing to me for Barrett and I had fished off the lighted pier until about 1:30 a.m. catching several nice speckled trout. After a nice, but cold river ride down the Soto La Marina Jim and I were in the duck blind before sunrise. Back before noon after the morning hunt, typically Mexican, margaritas and lunch were waiting after a hot shower.

Siesta time!
While all of us hunters grabbed a few minutes of shut-eye, Cavi's guides cleaned the shotguns and got everything prepared for the afternoon hunt. Before you could get to slow down the hunters were back out into the field again.

Staff, accommodations, equipment, and an excellent hunting area - it was very evident that this was a fist class operation all the way. So many lodges South of the Border just can not seem to put All of these key ingredients together. Many times it is the equipment that prevents the hunter from having a good time. Del Rio's boats and vehicles are all equipped with radios should any assistance be needed because of breakdowns. These same radios also assures the margaritas are always cold and that dinner will always be hot!

If you do not want to fly or drive down Del Rio runs a shuttle service from Mc Allen to the lodge. If you want to share in the Mexico hunting experience or have hunted in Mexico, but are looking for a first class hunting lodge we suggest Marina Del Rio.